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Grieving family seeks help after 1-year-old grandson among 6 killed in Saturday I-95 tragedies

A grieving family is trying to set up a fund to pay for the funeral of a 1-year-old Jacksonville boy and his father after they died in one of two accidents that killed six people Saturday night on Interstate 95 in Flagler and St. Johns counties.

Meanwhile, the Florida Department of Transportation had to shut down the site of that fiery second accident Monday afternoon to test the pavement to determine how much damage the St. Johns crash caused.

Kris J. Ruiz, 25, of Palm Coast and toddler son Jonathan Jay Ruiz were killed when their Honda Civic was involved in the second collision about 7:30 p.m. near mile-marker 301 on I-95 in St. Johns County, according to the Highway Patrol.

Joan Baker said her grandson and his father were two exits from home when they were killed. She learned of the deaths when police contacted her Sunday. Now she is trying to set up a fund to “get people to help” with funeral costs.

“I miss them,” the Daytona beach woman said crying. “I love my grandson and Kris. They will be deeply missed. They took them way too soon.”

Two people died in the first crash about 5:30 p.m. on southbound I-95 south of Palm Coast Parkway in Flagler. Michael Benjamin Chance Smith, 17, of Jacksonville and Pamela Taylor Thor, 56, of St. Augustine were killed when two pickup trucks and a car collided, investigators said.

Smith was a passenger in a Chevrolet pickup driven by Jacksonville resident Roy Roger White, 38, who suffered minor injuries. Thor, driving a Honda Civic, died at the scene.

A second Chevrolet pickup was driven by Michael Jeffrey Mervis, 53, of Boynton Beach. He wasn’t injured, while passenger Kimberly Patricia Martinson, 47, had minor injuries but wasn’t hospitalized, the Highway Patrol said.

The second accident was miles down the interstate two hours later. Freightliner truck driver Barbara Carol Pennington, 50, of Lakeland failed to stop for the traffic jam caused by the first accident and rear-ended other vehicles, the Highway Patrol said. Two trucks and a car erupted into flames due to the crash.

Chevrolet Spark driver Nilda Valentine Rivera, 41, of Palm Coast was killed in the accident as was Ruiz and his son.

So did Peterbilt driver David Andrew Bernard of Miami Gardens. Drivers and passenger in other vehicles in the accident were not injured, investigators said.

All of the victims except Smith were wearing seat belts, the preliminary investigation showed.

Both accidents shut down the southbound interstate lanes until mid-afternoon Sunday. As for the pavement damage, about 300 feet of outside and emergency lane and shoulder were damaged and will need to be resurfaced, state officials said. A cost estimate and repair date could be determined later this week.